Students from 12 high schools visit sites of memory in Albania
1st Day, 18 March 2019
"Drita e Dijes" high school students in Berat and "Fuat Babani" students from Bilisht visist BunkArt 2
The first day of the study trip began with a visit to "BunkArt 2" Museums in Tirana. Their visit was important to learn more about the past.
2nd Day, 19 March 2019
Third edition's "Ask Your Grandparents" competition finalists visit former Spac prison for the first time
Finalists of the competition, representing 12 different high schools from Tirana, Durres, Berat, Bilisht, Elbasan, Labinot, Mëzez, Tropoja and Lezha had the chance to talk withLekë Tasi, Gjeto Vocaj and Filip Guraziu, who shared with young students their experience during dictatorship, when they visited Spaç. After Spaç, the study visit took place to sites of memory in Shkodra, one of the most persecuted cities during the dictatorship.
IDMC director, Dr. Jonila Godole emphasized the importance of sites of memory, such as the prison of Spac, in order to know and better understand the past.
"Visits to sites of memory, similar to these organized by IDMC, enable young people, especially high school students, to give a name and face to the information they learn about at school regarding communism."
3rd Day, 20 March 2019
Visit at "Site of Witness and Memory" in Shkodra and former prison in Lezha
The Site of Witness & Memory in Shkodra is a museum that represents all the sufferings of the persecuted people during the comunism regime in the city of Shkodra. There was Elena Zorba who shared the story of her father who has been arrested and kept in pre-prison in this museum before he got the final decision for 5 years of prison. The visit in Lezha at "Mrizi i Zanave" agrotourism was important for the youth to take a new perspective of communism consequences in left behind areas of Albania, while enjoying some Albanian traditional food.
4th Day, 21 March 2019
Ditën e fundit të vizitës, të rinjtë vizitojnë burgun në kalanë e Gjirokastrës dhe ish-Kampin e Internimit në Tepelenë
The last day of the study visit began with a visit to the Castle of Gjirokastra. The visit was focused in the prison inside the castle, which has served as a political prison during communism in '45-'55. Later, the group visited the internment camp in Tepelena, which even though worked for 6 years, still makes an important part of the history of our country for all the families of the interned during dictatorship. It also demonstrates a concrete dimension of the communist persecution in Albania.
Through this visit the group of high school students from Tirana, Durrës, Berat, Bilisht, Elbasan, Labinot, Mëzez, Tropoja, Lezha learned about Hoxha's terror, without provincial distinctions, from north to the south.